The present invention relates to dry-cleaning systems and, more particularly, to a liquified gas dry-cleaning system which is readily converted into different assembled configurations.
Known dry-cleaning processes consist of a wash, rinse, and drying cycle with solvent recovery. Garments are loaded into a basket in a cleaning drum and immersed in a dry-cleaning fluid or solvent, which is pumped into the cleaning drum from a base tank. Conventional dry-cleaning fluids include perchloroethylene (PCE), petroleum-based or Stoddard solvents, CFC-113, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane, all of which are generally aided by a detergent. The solvent is used to dissolve soluble contaminants, such as oils, and to entrain and wash away insoluble contaminants, such as dirt.
The use of these conventional solvents, however, poses a number of health and safety risks as well as being environmentally hazardous. For example, halogenated solvents are known to be environmentally unfriendly, and at least one of these solvents, PCE, is a suspected carcinogen. Known petroleum-based solvents are flammable and can contribute to the production of smog. Accordingly, dry cleaning systems which utilize dense phase fluids, such as liquid carbon dioxide, as a cleaning medium have been developed. An apparatus and method for employing liquid carbon dioxide as the dry-cleaning solvent is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,492, entitled xe2x80x9cDry-Cleaning Garments Using Liquid Carbon Dioxide Under Agitation As Cleaning Mediumxe2x80x9d. A similar dry cleaning apparatus is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,276.
These systems pose a number of other problems, particularly in relation to the high operating pressures necessary for maintaining the gas in a liquid state. For example, the various pressurized components of the system must be constructed with thick, heavy walled structures to withstand the elevated pressures encountered during the dry cleaning operation. These bulky structures consume a significant amount of space. For instance, a liquified gas dry-cleaning machine can have dimensions which exceed eight feet in length and the weight of the machine can exceed 6,000 pounds. As will be appreciated, equipment of this size and weight can be difficult to install. Moreover, in order to encourage dry cleaning operators to convert to liquid carbon dioxide dry cleaning systems, these new systems must be able to be placed into facilities and locations designed for existing dry-cleaning equipment. However, due to the neighborhood nature of many dry cleaning operations, substantial space restrictions can exist at many dry-cleaning facilities. These space restrictions can exacerbate the difficulties associated with installing the liquified gas dry-cleaning equipment and, in some cases, could preclude the installation of such a system in a particular location.
The size and weight of liquified gas dry-cleaning equipment also can make it very difficult to ship. For example, heavy lifting equipment must be provided to the move dry-cleaning machine. In addition, in order to reach a particular installation location, it may be necessary to move the dry-cleaning machine through tight hallways and narrow doorways. Obviously, because of the size and weight of the equipment, this can be very difficult and, in some instances, also could preclude the installation of the system.
In view of the foregoing, a general object of the present invention is to overcome the problems associated with shipping and installing liquified gas dry-cleaning systems.
A related object of the present invention is to provide a liquified gas dry-cleaning machine which is adapted for more flexible installation so as to enable more efficient utilization of space in a particular installation location.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a liquified gas dry-cleaning machine which is readily converted into different assembled configurations so as to conform more easily to the space requirements of a particular installation location.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dry-cleaning machine of the foregoing type having a modular design that makes the machine easier to ship and handle prior to installation.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention and upon reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: